Company Overview

Agenda
• Introduction
• CAM Platform Overview
– SAW Temperature Sensors
– Partial Discharge Monitoring
– Humidity Sensor
– Monitoring Units
• System Configurations
• Installation
• Marketing & Business
• Case Studies
Introduction
Maintenance Strategies

• Reactive (Run to Failure): Results in

lengthy, unexpected outages.

• Preventative (Periodic): inconsistent,

and failure could occur between
inspections

• Condition Based (Continuous)

monitoring): sensors constantly
monitor asset during all operating
conditions, providing true asset health
for predictive maintenance.
Asset Failure Rates

Data on failure patterns

compiled by NASA and
the US Navy show only
18% of asset failures are
age related, and 82% are
due to random failures

Failure Patterns of Simple and Complex Items

http://www.arcweb.com/Blog/Post/260/Proactive-Asset-Management-with-IIoT-and-Analytics
Condition Based Monitoring (CbM)
Using continuous monitoring instruments to gather asset
parameters and analyzing data to trend and diagnose the
asset health condition over time.
Classic P-F Curve
Benefits to Electrical Power Critical Assets
• Optimize Performance
• Increase Reliability
• Lower total maintenance cost
• Extend asset life
• Minimize downtime with proactive planning
• Improve employee safety
• Avoid catastrophic failure
Primary Causes Of Critical Asset Failure
• Compromised Connections
• Poor contact, connections, corrosion, wear, or loosening
• Results in Elevated Heating

• Insulation Degradation
• Aged, worn, or damaged insulation creates dielectric breakdown
• Results in Corona and Partial Discharge

• Air Dielectric Breakdown

• Excess environmental moisture and condensing atmosphere
• Results in tracking and flashover from High Humidity
Critical Asset Monitoring (CAM) Platform
Comprehensive System for continuous, real-time monitoring of electrical asset
primary failure modes.
CAM-4
Temperature Sensors • Touch panel HMI
• Monitoring (temp, PD, humidity)
• Concentrator: display and log
data for up to 7 external Readers
• Onboard data storage
Partial Discharge • Multiple communication protocols

Reader
• Remote Monitoring
(temp, PD, humidity)
Humidity Sensor • Modbus RTU (RS485) coms.
CAM Platform Applications
• Low, Medium and High Voltage Switchgear
– Incomers, Feeders, Bus Ties
• Bus ducts / ISO Phase bus ducts
• Ring main units
• Transformers
• Generators
• Generator Circuit breakers
• Load Tap Changers
• Rectifier Stacks
• Capacitor reactance matching banks
IntelliSAW On the Grid

Generation

Transmission
Power Generation
Distribution Plants
Transmission
Customers Substations (step-up)

Transmission
Substations (step-down)

Commercial Heavy
Customers Industrial
Customers

Distribution
Substations

Steel Plant

Data
Hospital Petrochem
Aluminium Plant Center
CAM Platform Overview
System Architecture

CAM-4
• Local HMI
• Local alarming (contact closure)
• Interfaces to SCADA / Historian
• Monitoring (temp / PD / humidity)
• Data concentrator

Reader
• Monitoring (temp / PD / humidity)
• Communications back to CAM-4

Sensors
• Each monitoring unit can have a
unique configuration
Monitoring Capabilities
• 12 Temperature sensors
• 4 PD air interfaces
• 8 humidity sensors
Installation Example (MV Switchgear)

• SAW Temperature Sensors Monitoring

Unit CAM
– Bus connections
– Breaker Input Temp Air
Interface
– Breaker Output
– Cable Connections
• Air Interfaces Humidity x3
Sensor
– Temperature only (mast)
x3
– PD and Temperature PD & Temp
Interface
• Humidity Sensor
• Monitoring unit
SAW x3
Sensors
Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW)
Temperature Sensors
SAW Temperature Sensors
• PASSIVE sensor modules – NO power wiring required
– Powered by Radio Frequency signals (425 to 442 MHz)
– Range: -25˚C to +125˚C (Accuracy: ±2˚C, Resolution: ±0.2˚C)

• 20+ year sensor life expectancy

– Crystal Resonator Technology
– Proven technology since 1918

• Designed for electrical power asset applications

– Robust sensor baseplate (tin plated brass)
– No internal sharp points, prevents corona
– Bolt Mount: 13mm or ANSI ½ in. (54Nm Torque)
– Type Tested
• IEC 62271-1 Withstand voltage: 95kV/1m and 185kV impulse
• IEC 62271-200 Short circuit withstand: 63kA/3s, 171kA peak
SAW Operations

Damped harmonic waveform

Cold Temperature: Hot Temperature:

- Contracts - Expands
- Frequency is higher - Frequency is lower
IDTs deposited on crystal substrate
SAW Operations

434.6
434.421 MHz
434.4
FREQUENCY ( MHZ ) Resonator-1
434.2 Frequency Range
Difference
434 = 85°C

433.8
Resonator-2
433.6 Frequency Range 433.734 MHz

433.4
-25 0 25 50 75 100 125 150
TEMPERATURE ( C )
Sensor Installation Example (Bolt Mount)
Sensor Installation Examples (Alternatives)

Heat Shrink

Tie Wraps

3M Tape
Large Scale System Installation

A total of 340 cabinets

(35kV) were each
instrumented with a
6-sensor configuration
Partial Discharge (PD)
What IS PD?
• Localized breakdown of insulation
• Arcs within or along surface of insulator
• The breakdown causes emissions:
– Current spikes between conductors
• Milliamp to Ampere currents
• Pico to Nano-coulomb discharges

– Electromagnetic (radio or light)

– Acoustic
– Ozone
Why measure PD?
• A leading indicator of cable damage and insulation failure.
• PD Magnitude is linked to the rate of deterioration since
each event causes further damage.

• Trending is most important:

– A low level of PD increasing quickly signifies a major
defect
– a high level of PD that is stable indicates there is a
major defect, but it is not getting worse
 IntelliSAW PD Detection System
• Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) PD Detection

• Distinguishes PD events from noise with real-

time algorithms & band-pass hardware filters

• Concise data reporting ideal for trending

• Completely non-contact to provide highest

safety rating

Applicable to monitoring all critical assets

due to low cost and ease of installation
Signal Filtering to Reject Noise
• Filters are used to select signals from one of three bands (300, 600, and 1200MHz)

• UHF energy in the selected frequency band is AM detected & processed

• Typical PD Broadband Frequencies in Assets:

– Motors, Transformers, Long Cables are Low Frequencies

– Switchgear cabinets have medium frequencies centered on cavity resonance

– Bus ducts act as waveguides and transmit high frequencies

Signal classification
Noise:
• Signals not correlated to line
frequency
• May have other modulation for
data transmission
• Might be transient or persistent
Surface Discharge (Corona):
• Occurs at the negative half cycle
where electrons emitted from
the metal ionize the air
• Significant odd and even
harmonics of the power line
frequency
Internal Discharge (PD):
• Occurs within the bulk of the
material and causes progressive
damage to insulation
• Occurs approximately equally for
positive and negative cycles
• Presents as even harmonics of
the power line frequency
 Quantifying PD Data for Trending
• Analyze defects for one power cycle
• Calculate cumulative charge for all defects
• Provide one data point as a weighted average

PD = 1,050 pC cum/cycle

defects
PD Monitor Installation Example
PD & Temperature Monitoring Installation Example

CAM Air Interfaces are

used for PD monitoring
and temperature sensor
measurements.
Humidity Sensor
Why measure Humidity?

• Humidity contamination and moisture on the

insulation surface results in long term insulation
damage and metallic corrosion:

– Leads to elevated heating

– Partial discharge / Surface tracking
– Potential for shorts and flashover
Industrial Humidity Sensor

• Humidity & Ambient Temperature

• Ideal for bus ducts and switchgear cable
compartments
• Rugged construction:
– Sintered cap
– Threaded stainless steel body
– M12 water resistant connectors
– 4kV surge protection
• Multi-drop for up to 8 sensors
Monitoring Units and HMI
Reader (Remote Monitoring Unit)
• Up to 4 air interfaces
– Temperature and/or PD
• Up to 12 Temperature sensors
– Read range: ~1.75m
– Redundant antenna configuration
• Up to 8 Humidity sensors
• Modbus RTU communications
– Serial RS485
• 24V to 60V DC
• Type tested for electrical power asset
environments
CAM-4
• 4.3” touch panel HMI
• Monitoring Capabilities
– Up to 4 air interfaces
• Temperature and/or PD
– Up to 12 Temperature sensors
– Up to 8 Humidity sensors
• Universal Input Power (100 – 250V ac/dc)
• 4 configurable dry contact alarm outputs
• Extended data storage (USB interface)
• Multiple unit interface (up to 7 readers)
• Industry standard communications
– Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, DNP3, IEC-61850
CAM-4 HMI Examples

Summary Screen Temperature Detail Screen PD Detail Screen

Summary Screen with Warning and Alarms Temperature Graphical Screen PD Graphical Screen
System Configuration
Example Distribution Substation Configuration

Step Down Bus Duct Incomer Feeder Feeder Feeder Bus Tie
Transformer
High Voltage Reader

CAM-4 Reader Reader Reader Reader

Reader

Bus Duct
Reader
Local or
Remote
SCADA

Reader
CAM-4 Reader Reader Reader Reader

Reader
Step Down
Transformer Bus Duct Incomer Feeder Feeder Feeder Bus Tie
Example Industrial Customer Substation Layout
Sensor and Air Interface Placement

• MV Cubicle Measurements
– 12 SAW temperature sensors
– PD in cable compartment
– Humidity in cable compartment
Sensor and Air Interface Placement
Measurement Configuration Software

• SAW temperature sensor and air interface port

combinations
• Temperature sensor calibration
• PD monitoring ports and measurement
characteristics
• Humidity sensor
• Communication (RS485) interface
Case Studies
GCB Failure Prevention: US Utility
• US utility peak power plant used semi-annual inspection.
• During transition to continuous monitoring observed completely corroded GCB contact.
• If this generator had been brought into service, $250K & loss of life.
MV Switchgear Panel: China Power Plant
• 12KV SWGR R phase temp. is 20 C
higher than S & T phases.
• Replaced insulator, problem resolved
• (Note – PD monitoring might have caught
this much earlier)
Capacitor Bank: UAE Utility

• Gulf Region Utility

• Temperature rise of 33kV Series
Capacitor Reactance Matching Banks
during peak operation
• Confirmed iSAW alarm reporting using
FLIR system
• Cap banks taken down for repair
PD Detection: US Utility
• North East USA Utility
• Humidity condensing in bus duct
causing partial discharge
• Recommended install of more heaters
Bus Duct Monitoring: US Utility
• This peak power plant experienced a bus duct flashover due to condensation.
– Even when heaters are used to control humidity, heater failure can go undetected.
• The new bus duct has added continuous humidity monitoring.
LVDB Panel: UAE Utility
• Gulf Region Utility
• Temperature rise of fuse contact during peak operation, becoming worse over several days
• Confirmed iSAW alarm reporting using FLIR system
• Reseated fuse and returned normal operation
Critical Asset Monitoring
Continuous Monitoring
- Primary Failure Detection:
» Temp, Humidity, PD
- Integrates into existing
SCADA infrastructure
Early Warning Resolution
- Data captured  Assets protected
- Trends analyzed  Avoid Costly downtime
- Alarm thresholds set for  Avoid Injury
automatic alerts  Increase Reliability
Vigilance
Open Discussion…